The Inferno and Agamemnon

"Before we reached the lofty tower's base
Our eyes were following two points of flame

Visible at the top; and answering these
Another returned the signal, so far away
The eye could barely catch it. I turned to face

My sea of knowledge and said ' O Master, say:
What does this beacon mean? And the other fire--
What does it signal? And who are they...' "



As I read the beginning of Canto VIII of The Inferno of Dante I was struck by a great resemblance to the beginning of Agamemnon. There is fire and sea, as the beacons shine as a signal across the darkness... a signal that a victim is arriving...

As many of you remember ( I'm sure there were at least a few who don't) Clytemnestra awaited a beacon from across the sea to announce the arrival of her husband, Agamemnon. She had been plotting revenge against him for ten years for his sacrifice of their daughter Iphegenia. As the beacon signal arrived the fires were lit in celebration of his arrival and the defeat of Troy. Truly, however, this celebration was for Clytemnestra's opportunity for vengance; this celebration was for the death of Agamemnon. She was almost giddy at the thought.

As I was reading this, it was like a horror movie... The beacons signal the arrival of new souls to be tourtured. Ignorant Dante has no idea that these flames signal doom for those that enter. Because of the tie I felt to Agamemnon I wanted to shout at him to leave. It was his doom being signaled by those flames! It was his doom that the demons like Phlegyas were celebrating on the other side; and as you can tell from the excitement of Phlegyas (" Now, evil soul, you are caught!") the fallen angels do celebrate the arrival of these new souls in need of punishment. This anxiousness I felt did not really apply, however, to Dante. He is safe, alive, and not doomed to this fifth circle of Hell. But for all the other souls that entered this place... that beacon is the end for them. Vengence will be extracted for the sins that they have committed in the past. Like Clytemnestra the demons must bide their time in wait for these souls as they live their lives on earth. But after all the waiting....for them, justice is sweet.